PRS 57/08 pickups

DonP said:
So a Les Paul minus all the faults. Nice
Click to expand...
From Wiki
------
In 2001, PRS released their "Singlecut" guitar, which bore some resemblance to the venerable Les Paul. Gibson Guitar Corporation filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Paul Reed Smith. An injunction was ordered[16] and PRS ceased manufacturing of the Singlecut at the end of 2004. Federal District Court Judge William J. Haynes, in a 57-page decision ruled "that PRS [Paul Reed Smith] was imitating the Les Paul" and gave the parties ninety days "to complete any discovery on damages or disgorgement of PRS's profits on the sales of its offending Singlecut guitar."[16]

In 2005, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the lower court decision and ordered the dismissal of Gibson's suit against PRS.[17] The decision also immediately vacated the injunction prohibiting the sale and production of PRS’s Singlecut Guitar. PRS announced that it would immediately resume production of its Singlecut guitars.

Gibson subsequently tried and failed to have the case reheard by all sixteen active Sixth Circuit judges (denied in December 2005)[18] and then by the United States Supreme Court (denied June 2006),[19] which was their last chance to have their original injunction upheld.
 
DonP said:
Do you know the grounds for the reversal?
Click to expand...
"Gibson essentially argues that the shape of the PRS guitar leads consumers standing on the far side of the room in a guitar store to believe they see Gibson guitars and walk over to examine what they soon realize are PRS guitars... We decline to adopt such a broad reading of the initial-interest-confusion doctrine. Many, if not most, consumer products will tend to appear like their competitors at a sufficient distance. Where product shapes themselves are trademarked, such a theory would prevent competitors from producing even dissimilar products which might appear, from the far end of an aisle in a warehouse store, somewhat similar to a trademarked shape. Accordingly, we hold that initial-interest confusion cannot substitute for point-of-sale confusion on the facts of this case."
 
DonP said:
Do you know the grounds for the reversal?
Click to expand...

I read about this on another website somewhere. As I understand it, Gibson could not demonstrate that a reasonable customer would mistake the PRS for a Les Paul. In other words, to RVA's post above, no one would buy a PRS, thinking he was buying a Gibson Les Paul.

Essentially, Gibson could not make a reasonable case for damages due to the PRS guitar's shape being deceptive or confusing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RVA
RVA said:
"Gibson essentially argues that the shape of the PRS guitar leads consumers standing on the far side of the room in a guitar store to believe they see Gibson guitars and walk over to examine what they soon realize are PRS guitars... We decline to adopt such a broad reading of the initial-interest-confusion doctrine. Many, if not most, consumer products will tend to appear like their competitors at a sufficient distance. Where product shapes themselves are trademarked, such a theory would prevent competitors from producing even dissimilar products which might appear, from the far end of an aisle in a warehouse store, somewhat similar to a trademarked shape. Accordingly, we hold that initial-interest confusion cannot substitute for point-of-sale confusion on the facts of this case."
Click to expand...

Wow - that was a court with a brain.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RVA
Ok, so as promised here are some sound clips of this PRS Studio. As mentioned, I put a Vintage Bass in the bridge position. Also, the guitar is wired for vol/pull adds bridge which is represented here. Tone/pull splits bridge, which is not represented in any clip. I hope I did not over-deliver, but there are a lot of sounds available and I also waned to demonstrate the significant difference in pickup character with volume roll off

The clip goes:
-Neck (vol 10)
-Neck (vol 6)
-Neck/Bridge (vol 10)
-Neck/Bridge (vol 6)
-Neck/Middle (vol 10)
-Neck/Middle (vol 6)
-Middle/Bridge (vol 10)
-Middle/Bridge (vol 6)
-Bridge (vol 10)
-Bridge (vol 6)
-All (vol 10)
-All (vol 6)

https://soundcloud.com/user-903662928/prs-studio/s-RNfu4
 
No, that was perfect, thanks. Two observations - first the bridge pickup was still bright, so I reckon you made a good choice. Second, you can really hear the treble bleed cap on the volume control on vol 6. The sound is really rich with all pickups going.
 
DonP said:
No, that was perfect, thanks. Two observations - first the bridge pickup was still bright, so I reckon you made a good choice. Second, you can really hear the treble bleed cap on the volume control on vol 6. The sound is really rich with all pickups going.
Click to expand...
Thank you and good observation. So would you attribute the character of the pickups at volume 6 exclusively to the treble bleed cap? I have encountered them before and was far less impressed with the results.
 
RVA said:
Thank you and good observation. So would you attribute the character of the pickups at volume 6 exclusively to the treble bleed cap? I have encountered them before and was far less impressed with the results.
Click to expand...

I'm giving about 70% of the vol 6 sound to the treble bleed cap. You could always un-solder one end of it temporarily as an experiment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RVA
SirFlintstone said:
I've been wanting to get my hands on (own) a nice PRS for a while now. Maybe one day ;)
Click to expand...
There are good deals out there if you are patient. PRS is coming out with new models so often, that fans and fanatics are constantly flipping these guitars for the next best thing. Also, since they are not cheap, they are the first thing to go when $$ gets tight.

That said, the S2 AND SE models are also quite good. However, I would personally buy a used '"core" model over the S2.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top